PWLP: Week Seven - Lesson Four

Personal Evaluation

1. List at least five "health" foods you now appreciate that you never considered "really good" in the past.    I love chickpeas, natural peanut butter, salsa, brown rice, and apples.

2. In what ways, other than the number of calories, are you becoming more aware of the content of food products?    I'm becoming aware of how foods make me feel, and how much of a certain food will last me for a certain amount of time. I am becoming more aware of how much sodium content different foods have, as well.

3. How does it make you feel to take a new, different look at your "old favorites" (pizza, etc.)?    It makes me feel empowered, and sometimes sad. I miss being able to eat my old favorites whenever I wanted and however much I wanted, but at the same time, I feel free from the chains of the crappy food I used to be a slave to.

4. Is your attitude toward rich desserts and unhealthy fatty foods changing? If so, how? If not, why? Does it help to think of what hydrogenated fat is really like (lard, grease, etc.)?    Yes, it is. For Easter, I actually craved fruit as my dessert. And lately, I crave fruits for dessert, as opposed to thinking about rich, sugary desserts. In general, my whole perception of food is changing.

5. If you "rewarded yourself" with rich desserts or unhealthy fatty foods before you began this program, how are some ways you are "rewarding yourself" now?     I don't really "reward" my good behavior now, I reward my successes. I reward my successes by shopping, or watching Days of Our Lives, or going on dates with my husband. I reward myself with extra exercise and going up an extra flight of stairs.

6. What do your responses to question five say about the transformation taking place within you?    It says that I'm growing and developing and changing - I could never imagine myself being here, with changing my eating habits and sticking to this program for such a long time. Additionally, I reward myself with things that don't make me fat or binge - and that's huge for my success and journey.